Mexican Archives - Page 5 of 6

Boca Enchiladas

December 29, 2010 by epicureanvegan

When we first went vegan, the thought of having Mexican (or Italian) food again seemed like a pipe dream, but I think that some of my favorite meals have been just those—thanks to yummy meat and dairy alternatives. Lucky for me, too, because the Husband loves enchiladas and if I didn’t come up with a veg-based one, he wouldn’t be fun to live with. 😉 I’ve also made a seitan version, and these Boca Crumbles ones are pretty darn delish, too. I made a pretty big batch so feel free to halve the recipe for a smaller crowd.

INGREDIENTS:
1 Tbs olive oil
1-12 oz bag Boca Crumbles
1 medium green bell pepper, diced small
1 small onion, diced small
1-4 oz can diced green chilies (I used mild)
3-10 oz cans enchiladas sauce (I used Old El Paso–mild)
20 LaTortilla Factory Hand Made Style Corn Tortillas (Love these!! They’re a cross between a corn and flour tortilla and come in white and yellow corn—see below)
1 pkg Vegan Gourmet Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded + 1/2 C Daiya cheddar, shredded, mixed together
1 C black olives, sliced
1 bunch green onions, sliced (both green and white parts)
Optional garnishes: Tofutti sour cream, cilantro, diced avocados

DIRECTIONS:
Place the rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 375. In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the bell pepper and onions; saute until softened. Add the Boca crumbles and cook until heated through; stir in the green chilies.

I think it helps to steam the tortillas first, but only do a couple at a time, as the bottom ones will stick if there are too many on top. In a 15″ pan (I made the mistake of using a smaller pan, so I had to use 2 pans) pour 1-1/2 cans of the enchiladas sauce on the bottom of the pan. Place 2-3 spoonfuls of the Boca mixture into the steamed tortillas; add some cheese on top.

Tightly roll up the tortillas and place, fold down, into the baking dish.

Once each tortilla is rolled, top with the remaining sauce and cheese. Sprinkle the olives and green onions on top.

Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes. Serve with a dollop of sour cream and cilantro and/or any of the optional ingredients. Enjoy!

Chipotle-Lime Pasta with a Cream Sauce and Avocado

November 21, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 21

I picked up some Pappardelle’s Whole Wheat Chipotle Lime pasta and since it has a bit of kick, I figured a cream sauce would be ideal to go with it. I also had an avocado on-the-verge of being tossed, so it all came together beautifully!

INGREDIENTS:
8-oz Chipotle Lime pasta
2 tsp garlic, minced
2 Tbs Earth Balance margarine
2 Tbs flour
1 C almond milk
2 Tbs Vegan Parmesan cheese
1 tsp lime juice, plus a little more for thinning, if needed
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
2 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
1/3 C fresh cilantro, chopped
5-6 mushrooms, diced
1 avocado, diced

DIRECTIONS:
Cook pasta 10-12 minutes, or until al dente. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat margarine and garlic. Whisk in the flour. Once the flour is thoroughly combined, whisk in the almond milk, then the sour cream and Parmesan. Stir in the lime juice, mushrooms, cilantro, and green onions. Add more lime juice, if needed.

Ladle the sauce over single servings of pasta and top with the diced avocado. Enjoy!

Seitan Enchiladas with Green Chili Sauce (and a Field Roast Sausage Thrown In)

November 9, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 9

That’s right, I had to throw in a Field Roast Mexican Chipotle sausage link—I had a lonely one in the fridge, and these are enchiladas, after all. It was the piece de resistance. This recipe is based on one my sister used to make all the time, but with *gasp* chicken and *gasp* again, half-and-half, so I was determined to veganize it. If you’re not big on seitan, try some other filling options: ground meatless crumbles and refries, portobellos and onions, or bell peppers and zucchini. Either way, I think you’re love the creaminess and cheezyness of this classic dish.

INGREDIENTS:
2 pkgs. seitan, beef or chicken style, chopped into 1″ pieces (or other filling of choice)
1 Field Roast sausage link, Mexican Chipotle flavor, crumbled
1-4oz can diced green chilies
1 C Tofutti sour cream
1/8 C almond milk
1 C fresh cilantro
1 C black olives, sliced
3 green onions, sliced (white and greens parts)
1-1/2 C vegan cheddar and/or vegan Monterrey Jack cheese, shredded, divided
2-16oz jars of 505 Green Chili sauce, choose your level of hotness
11 flour tortillas (I know, I tried to make it an even number, but it just didn’t happen)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. In a medium bowl, combine seitan, Field Roast, chilies, cilantro, sour cream, almond milk, and 1/2 C of the cheese. Pour 1/2 of on jar of the green chili sauce on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan. Spread evenly. Fill each tortilla with about 3-4 tablespoons of the seitan mixture and fold over to make a burrito.

Lay folded side down.

Sprinkle a little cheese on the enchiladas, then layer rest of green chili sauce on top–spread evenly. Sprinkle rest of cheese on top, then layer on green onions and olives.

Cover and bake for 30 minutes, then enjoy!

Latin-Inspired Coleslaw

November 3, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Vegan MoFo, Day 3

I have become enamored with coleslaw this year. I guess it’s because we’ve received so much cabbage from our CSA, and before, I never really gave cabbage that much thought. I’ve made regular coleslaw and Asian coleslaw, so of course, it was only natural to make a Mexican-style one. This is great on its own, or wrapped in a tortilla.

INGREDIENTS:
1 large head of cabbage, shredded
1/2 C carrot, shredded
1 large red bell pepper, sliced thin
1 C fresh cilantro, slightly chopped
3 large green onion, chopped (both white and green parts)
1 Tbs pimento, diced
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
1/2 C Vegenaise
1 Tbs almond milk
1 tsp lime juice
1/2 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 tsp Ancho chili powder
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C vegan cheddar shredded (or vegan pepper jack for an added kick)

DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, combine cabbage, bell pepper, carrot, cilantro, and green onions. In a small bowl, combine sour cream, Vegenaise, almond milk, lime juice, liquid smoke, pimento, chili powder, cumin, and salt. Add the sour cream mixture to the cabbage mixture and combine thoroughly. Stir in cheeze. Enjoy!

8-Layer Dip

October 3, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Who needs 7 layers when you can have 8? This is also much like my Soyrizo Layer Dip, but with minor changes. Always a crowd-pleaser, this dip is not difficult to throw together.

INGREDIENTS:
1 16-oz can vegetarian refried beans
1/2 C Tofutti sour cream
2 avocados, peeled and pitted
1/2 C salsa
1 large tomato, diced
3 green onion (white and green parts), sliced thin
1/2 to 1 C vegan cheddar, shredded
1 3.8-oz can sliced black olives
1 tsp garlic salt
1-1/2 tsp lime juice
1/3 C fresh cilantro, chopped
Tortilla chips

DIRECTIONS:
In a medium-sized bowl, smash up the avocado. Sprinkle with garlic salt, cilantro, and lime juice; thoroughly combine. On a 8-9″ plate, layer on beans, sour cream, avocado mixture, and salsa. Next, layer on the cheese, tomato, green onions, and olives. This is would be a good time to admire the beauty of it, because it’s gonna be gone as soon as the guests get one taste! Serve with corn tortilla chips (pita crisps would be good, too) and enjoy!

Vegetable Soft Tacos/Fajitas

September 9, 2010 by epicureanvegan

Between school, tae kwon do practice, errands, and well . . . life, I love meals that make themselves. Ok, well, they don’t exactly make themselves, but pretty close. I had lots of veggies to use up, so fajitas/tacos were perfect. I added lime juice and cilantro for a flavorful combination. I served them with some warmed refried beans topped with vegan cheese for some protein.

INGREDIENTS:
1 small summer squash, cut into 2″ pieces
1 small zucchini, cut into 2″ pieces
1/2 large onion, cut into 2″ pieces
1 red bell pepper, cut into 2″ pieces
1-2 Tbs olive oil
1 avocado, sliced
1-oz pkg fajita seasoning
1/8 C water
1/8 C lime juice
1 C fresh cilantro, chopped
Salsa
Vegan cheddar, shredded
Tofutti sour cream
Flour tortillas, warmed

DIRECTIONS:
In a large skillet heat the olive oil. Add the squash, zucchini, bell pepper, and onion.

Saute covered for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Combine the fajita mix with the water and lime juice. Add to the vegetable mixture and combine well. Stir in the cilantro.

On a warm tortilla, layer on some sour cream, veggies, avocado, salsa, and cheese. Enjoy!

Breakfast Burritos

August 8, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I love lazy Sunday mornings. The Husband and I decided to combine forces and throw together a tasty breakfast. He loves hasbhbrowns, so he fired those up and I worked on the rest of the ingredients in another pan. It was a lovely joint venture.

INGREDIENTS:
1 16-oz bag hashbrowns
1 red bell pepper, diced
1 yellow bell pepper, diced
4 green onions, sliced thin
2 Field Roast sausages (Chipotle flavor)
1/2 C fresh cilantro, chopped
Olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Flour tortillas, warmed
Optional ingredients: Tofutti sour cream, vegan shredded cheddar, salsa

DIRECTIONS:
Pretty easy: The Husband seasoned the hashbrowns with salt and pepper and cooked them in one skillet, while I sauteed the peppers in some olive oil for about 10-15 minutes in another skillet. I then added the sausage, which just needs to be heated through–no “cooking” involved. I had two leftover sausages from the casserole, so this was perfect. Then I added the green onions and cooked them a few more minutes until they began to soften. Once the hashbrowns were browned, about 25 minutes, we combined the two pans and stirred in the cilantro. Spoon onto a tortilla, adding the optional ingredients, if using. Enjoy!

Portobello Tacos with Salsa Verde

May 4, 2010 by epicureanvegan

This recipe from Vegetarian Times serves 6–easily. The salsa verde–at least 10! It makes a lot of sauce, so next time I’ll probably halve the recipe for that. I also found the sauce a bit bland, so I added a bit more salt. The original recipe is for grilled portobellos, but I decided to saute them. These were very yummy and the marinade was simple and delicious.

INGREDIENTS:
Marinade:
1/3 C canola oil
3 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 tsp black pepper
Tacos:
6 large portobello mushroom caps
6-6″ soft corn tortillas (can easily get 12 tacos from this recipe–and I think I prefer flour tortillas)
2 avocados, sliced
2 C chopped tomatoes
3 C shredded cabbage
Vegan sour cream
Salsa Verde:
4 tomatillos, chopped (or 1 C canned)
1 large green bell pepper or poblano chili, roughly chopped (I used the bell pepper–may have been why I found it bland)
1 large bunch fresh cilantro, leaves only
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbs agave nectar
1-1/4 C canola oil
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
If using the grill, preheat grill for high heat.

To make marinade: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl.

To make tacos: Brush mushroom caps with marinade. Grill mushrooms 3-5 minutes per side. Cool until easy to handle, then slice into strips. (I actually poured the marinade in a zip lock bag and added the mushrooms, letting them marinate for about an hour. Then I sliced them and sauteed them in a large skillet for about 5 minutes).

To make salsa verde: Puree all ingredients in a food processor 1 minute or until smooth. Pour salsa over mushroom strips and let stand 10-15 minutes. (I just scooped a couple of tablespoons of the salsa into the taco). Lightly warm tortillas 15 seconds per side in a skillet or in grill.

Fill tortillas with sliced mushrooms, avocado slices, tomatoes, and cabbage. Top each with sour cream, if using. Enjoy!

Vegan Enchiladas

April 16, 2010 by epicureanvegan

These were yummy and satisfying! I used stir-fry seitan, but you can use sliced portobello mushrooms or Boca Meatless Crumbles. To clear out the sinuses, puree some chilies in adobo sauce (comes in a 7-oz can) and mix in with the meat-of-choice. I used about 6 tablespoons and the Husband and Fifth Grader found it a little too fork-curling hot, so next time, I’ll use only 1-2 tablespoons–just depends on what you like.

INGREDIENTS:
16-oz seitan, sliced portobellos, or Boca Meatless Ground Crumbles
1/2 large onion, chopped
12 small flour or corn tortillas
2-1/2 C mix of vegan Monterey Jack cheese and vegan Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded
Tofutti sour cream
1-2 avocados, diced
Fresh cilantro leaves
1 recipe enchiladas sauce:
3 Tbs olive oil
1 Tbs flour
1/4 C chili powder
2 C vegetable broth
1 6-oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano
1 pkg. enchiladas spices or recipe (below):
1 Tbs chili powder
2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp cumin
1 paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS:
Start with the enchiladas sauce: Heat oil in a saucepan, stir in flour, then chili powder (if you need to make your own chili powder, combine 3 Tbs paprika, 1 Tbs cumin, 2 T oregano, 1 tsp cayenne, and 1/2 tsp garlic salt). Add vegetable broth, tomato paste, cumin and oregano. Simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375. Sautee meat-of-choice with some olive oil until browned. Whether you use seitan, portobellos or ground crumbles, they only take about 10 minutes. Stir in spices. Add onion last couple of minutes of sauteeing.

Spread about a 1/2 cup of the sauce on the bottom of a 15″ baking pan. Fill each tortilla with about 3 tablespoons of meat mixture and 1-2 Tbs of cheese. Be sure to save about 3/4 cup to 1 cup of cheese to spread on the top. Fold each tortilla and place into the pan. Top with the rest of the enchilada sauce and cheese. Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes. Uncover and bake another 5 minutes.

Serve hot and top with a dollop of Tofutti sour cream, avocados and cilantro.

Enjoy!

Pita Quesadillas with Cilantro Hummus

April 8, 2010 by epicureanvegan

I was thumbing through the latest issue of Vegetarian Times and when I saw this recipe, I decided right then and there to try these. I happened to have all the ingredients, even adding some Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack cheese and between that, the roasted red peppers and cilantro, it made a delicious, quick and easy lunch.

INGREDIENTS:
Hummus:
1/2 C cilantro leaves
2 cloves garlic, peeled (I used minced)
1-1/2 C cooked chickpeas (or 1 15oz can, rinsed and drained)
2 Tbs lime juice
2 Tbs olive oil
Quesadillas:
4 7″ whole-wheat pitas, split crosswise
4 jarred roasted red peppers, drained and sliced into strips
1-1/2 C baby spinach leaves
Optional: Vegan Gourmet Monterey Jack, shredded (I did little slices, but shredding it would have been better)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350. To make hummus: Process cilantro leaves and garlic in food processor until chopped. (I added the garlic later since it was already minced). Add the chickpeas, lime juice, oil, and 1/4 C water; puree 3 minutes, or until creamy.

To make the quesadillas: Place 4 pitas halves on baking sheet. Spread each with 1/2 C hummus. Top with peppers, spinach, cheese (if using) and remaining pita halves. Bake 10 mins, serve and enjoy!